Oh, I wish he were here! so I could just tell him, and have it all over in a few minutes.

But now it will be so long that I'll have to wait to hear what he has to say about it." Violet expressed her sympathy, joining very heartily in his wish for his father's presence, then left him to his task.
"Seems to me it's a little like marching up to the cannon's mouth," Max said to himself, as he took out his writing materials and dipped his pen in the ink, "but it's got to be done, and I'll have it over." He cogitated a moment, then began.

"Dear papa, I've been doing very wrong for 'most a week--letting a fellow teach me to play cards and gamble; we didn't play for money or anything but fun at first, but afterward we did; and I lost all the money I had, and, worse still, the nice watch you sent me.
"But the very worst is to come.

You would never believe I could be so terribly wicked after all you said to me, and I wouldn't have believed it myself, and oh, I don't like to tell you, for I'm afraid it will almost break your heart, papa, to know you have such a wicked boy for your only son! "But I have to tell you, because you know you said I must tell you everything bad I did.
"Well, I was sure the fellow had cheated, and I got very mad, and called him a cheat and a thief.

Then he got mad and swore horrible oaths at me, and called me a liar, and that made me madder than ever, and--O papa, how can I write it for you to see?
I swore at him." The boy's tears were dropping upon the paper.